I hear the term “Big Brother” a lot lately, most often referring to technology in transportation. Telematics, ELDs and in-cab-cameras all carry the Big Brother stigma in the malevolent, overbearing and Orwellian sense of the word.
I saw it most recently in the Insurance Journal article outlining the struggle for the commercial auto insurance segment to become profitable. The piece by Andrea Wells makes several references to technology as Big Brother, the all knowing, all seeing eye. The notion...
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Honoring The Driver – Respect and Camaraderie
There is no shortage of analysis about driver recruitment and retention.
But I had the privilege of witnessing first-hand how some forward-thinking companies keep their drivers by honoring and respecting the skills and talents they bring to the company success. Some of the biggest and sharpest names in trucking brought their best drivers of all levels of experience to the 2017 Colorado State Truck Driving Championships. Smaller, local operations like RMT Trucking and American Furniture Warehouse competed valiantly against the big national heavyweights like FedEx, Wal-Mart and...
“Composing” the Driver
Part II —Lessons learned from the Wal-Mart Tracy Morgan Tragedy
In our previous article, Rights and Responsibilities, Constitutional lessons from the Tracy Morgan / Wal-Mart tragedy, we discussed the importance of a driver at an accident scene understanding their right to remain silent. We received some very insightful comments from our readers; enough so that we have decided to turn it into a series. One comment in particular came from a veteran safety professional with decades worth of experience both behind the wheel and behind the desk. ...
Rights and Responsibilities
Constitutional Lessons From the Wal-Mart / Tracy Morgan Tragedy
Kevin Roper made some very poor choices leading up to the early morning hours of June 7, 2014. The consequence of Roper’s choices profoundly and tragically affected the lives of countless people who were involved in the crash on the New Jersey turnpike early that summer morning which took the life of writer and comedian James “Jimmie Mack” McNair and seriously injured actor and comedian Tracy Morgan and several others. Years later, life seems to have moved on. Perhaps now,...
Accident Scene Safety vs Black Box Data Preservation
You wouldn’t think that someone would have to make a choice between safety and data preservation, but it happens…all the time…at a CMV accident scene.
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Accident Scene Protocol and Preserving Data
Best practices advise a driver to turn off their engine immediately following an accident for a couple of reasons. One, to prevent the possibility of a fire, and the other is to preserve the data from the engine control module (ECM), or “engine black box”. The data loop varies depending on...
Managing Chaos After a Crash – Accident Protocol for Truck Drivers
Chaos After a Crash - The Only Thing You Can Control is You
Crashes are very, very stressful. Throughout the chaotic aftermath of a crash, you may experience a heightened sense of fear and loss of control, especially if there are serious or life-threatening injuries. All parties involved may exhibit everything from stunned, shocked silence, to tears or extreme aggression. Sometimes, the anger and aggression will be directed at you. The only thing you can control is you – your behavior, your reactions and emotions. You are most likely...
A Bad Day Recovered Using Driver Skill, Training and the Right Tool
Truck Driver's Real Experience Using The Accident Plan Smart Phone App
Before the Crash
It’s a bad day at work for everyone involved. It was 1:15 AM and Jimmy P was westbound on the 105 in Los Angeles having just loaded 9,000 gallons of unleaded from the refinery for his employer, MJ Tank Lines.The Accident
Traffic was light and Jimmy was easily keeping the 55 mph speed limit in the right lane as he approached the 110 interchange when a black Camry cut in front of him making a...
Lots of Fun at the 2016 CMCA Allied Conference Golf Tournament
CMCA Allied Conference Golf Tournament an unqualified success.
Crash Indicator – Level The Playing Field
The government is keeping score. CSA keeps a constantly running tally of safety performance history on the road. And that includes every motor carrier’s “Crash Indicator”.